"We hope you would visit us again… regardless of what happened," he said, gritting his teeth.

As they were saying their goodbyes at the airport VIP parking lot, two men in black suits were standing a few feet away from them, waiting to escort them to the boarding gate.

Briare sent a representative to the airport who checked them in, so now all they have to do is board the plane.

He also took them to the airport himself. Evidently, his disability does not prevent him from driving. His legs still allow him to do things that were not physically strenuous, such as drive a car — an automatic one.

And the reason why he insisted to drive them himself to the airport was that he wanted to update Jess personally on the results of his investigation, which did not give him his expected result.

His men did everything they could, but they found nothing!

"We would love to come back if schedule permits." She accepted the handshake he was offering, "Thank you for your hospitality. Extend my regards to Samara. I hope she gets better soon."

"Likewise, Miss Zimmerman. It was a great pleasure to know that Ellise has a friend." he gave her a fatherly smile, "Samara regrets not being able to send you two off."

"Thank you, Mister Ravenport," Briare shook Luke's hand in such a force that even his left shoulder that was on a sling was shaken.

"Thank you. It's a great pleasure to meet you," he replied in a steady voice, trying not to show the pain.

Jess was oblivious to what was going on between Briare and Luke since her attention was with the men who were taking their luggage to the check-in desk.

She watched Briare's men roll their suitcases into the airport. Before she returned to where Briare and Luke were standing, with Luke's messenger bag slung on her right shoulder and her own backpack that she carried in her left hand.

"Let's go?" She asked the unusually quiet Luke standing five feet apart from Briare who was standing up with the use of a metal cane.

"Let me carry my bag," he said stretching his good arm.

"No, I can do it." she gave Briare a small smile before she turned around to follow Luke who still grabbed his own bag even when she said no.

"I got our passports back from Briare's man, and our suitcases were taken care of. Now we wait for our boarding time at the Sky Lounge."

She noticed that Luke seemed bothered over something and he wasn't listening to her at all. She had to tug his good arm to point the direction to the Sky Lounge.

"Welcome to the Sky Lounge. Where we give you the best experience in the Sky," the two beautiful attendants said in unison when they entered the room that looks like a luxurious lobby of a grand hotel.

The attendant ushered them to a table for two next to a potted palm tree.

Luke pulled her a chair before he seated himself.

As soon as the lounge attendant left, Jess asked the question that has been nagging her since they left the parking lot. "Are you okay Luke?"

"No."

A crease formed in between Jess' well-groomed eyebrows with the one-word answer from Luke. "What seemed to be the problem?"

"I'm pissed off. I know I am a commoner, but must they truly treat me so insignificantly?"

"What do you mean? I don't understand," her voice was laced with confusion.

"People in that resort and that hospital were just nice to me in front of you," his voice raised few decibels up with irritation.

Jess didn't say anything but her eyes were shaking. She knew Luke was not the type of person that would act this way out of spite.

"Did something happen with you with Briare?"

"He's always warm towards so. So fatherly," he rolled his eyes at the back of his head, "...and yet the moment you turned around, he was so cold and gave me calculative glances. It was like he was measuring me up or something…"

"I feel that too." she agreed quietly. "I'm starving can I get you something to eat first before we continue with this talk?" she asked but her arms already signal the attendant who quickly came to their side.

"I just want something light. I don't have an appetite," he said, pouting.

"A bowl of tomato soup and a club sandwich for him and a bowl of Shio ramen for me." She nodded dismissively at the attendant, then turned her attention back to sulky Luke.

"I do feel the coldness of Briare's towards you the first time we met the couple. I just assumed that it was because Samara was so warm towards you," she said, choosing her words carefully.

"Oh, I thought it was just me who felt that." he sighed, relieved. "Ellise was nothing but kind and sweet to me that I don't want to act like a primadonna to her business partner." He stopped talking when he saw Jess stifling a laugh.

"What?!" Seeing Jess's face turn red as she tried to control her laughter, he widened his eyes.

She snorted, "I mean, seriously? Ellise? Sweet and kind?" she asked, while she couldn't contain her fits of giggle. I have known Ellise since we were teens, but until now I do not think she would qualify as sweet and kind."

He shook his head, "Well, maybe sweet is pushing it too hard," he nodded, "Yeah, sweet is an overkill."

They both snorted rather loudly that the guest next to their table gave them a disapproving look. At other times, Jess would offer an apologetic smile, but right now, her side hurts too much from controlling her laugh with the idea of Ellise being sweet.

"She is known as the Ice Princess," she told him, still giggling.

"The name is fitting. You both have a resting bitch face, I wonder how Noah likes you when his ex-wife looks like a Goddess; so sophisticated, so refined so — unlike you."

"Would you also like your right shoulder broken?"